Clashes with cops in Kerala; TN protests despite police denial

College students in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, led marches protesting against the alleged police violence against students of JMI and Aligarh Muslim University, demanding the scrapping of CAA.

Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, continued for the fourth consecutive day, as several youth outfits and organisations took out demonstrations, and even sat at the Raj Bhawan in the state’s capital for hours. The police resorted to using water cannons at the protestors sitting outside the governor’s residence.

Students in Kerala hold placards during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Dec 19, 2019. (ANI)

Several hundred people took to the streets in Kochi and Kozhikode, demanding the scrapping of the newly amended law, which seeks to provide citizenship to illegal migrants from Buddhist, Hindu, Sikhs, Jain, Parsi and Christian faiths, who have come to India from the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, on or before December 31, 2014.

“The new act is divisive and discriminatory in nature and was aimed at polarising the society,” said one of the protestors at the march.

College students, including those from left student political outfits, led marches in Maharaja’s College in Ernakulam and at the Cochin University of Science and Technology, protesting against the alleged police violence against students of Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. At Maharaja’s College, teachers and staff organised a human chain against CAA. Several smaller rallies were held in southern Kerala’s Kollam.

In the capital city, youth organisations laid siege to the Raj Bhawan. Workers of the Democratic Youth Federation (DYFI) and Youth Congress were involved in a scuffle with the police, as the latter tried to break their ranks. The cops used water cannons to disperse the crowd. The situation was brought under control.

In Tamil Nadu, Chennai Police on Thursday revoked permission to hold a rally in Valluvarkootam, police officials said. However, hundreds, including actor Siddharth, turned up to protest against the CAA. Makkal Neethi Maiyam leader, Kamal Haasan, has also spoken out against the CAA. The Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, which is the ruling party in the state, will helm a demonstration in the city on December 23, in which several political parties are expected to participate, including Viduthalai Chiruthaigal and Communist Party of India (Marxist).